Holding means eor drain-valves of air-brake systems



P. M. SEARSON. HOLDING MEANS FOR DRAIN VALVES OF AIR BRAKE SYSTEMS.

APPLICATION FILED APILZQ. I9I9 Patented Sept. 2, 1919.

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PATENT onn on.

PATRICK M. SEARSON, OF EBSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

HOLDING MEANS FOR DRAIN-VALVES 0F AIR-BRAKE SYSTEMS.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 2, 1919.-

Application filed April 29, 1919. Serial No. 293,46a.

To all whom it ma concern.

Be it known that I, PATRICK M. Stimson, a citizen of the United States, resident of Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have made a certain new and useful Invention in Holding Means for Drain V alVes of Air-Brake Systems; and I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Figure l is a side View of the invention with parts in section, showing the valve closed, parts being removed.

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the valve open, and the parts correspondingly adjusted.

Fig. 3 is a detail end vieW of the pull rod and frame with parts broken away.

The invention has relation to means for operating or opening the drain valves of auxiliary air reservoirs forming a part of the air brake system of railroad cars, and it consists in the novel construction and combinations of parts, as hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention, the numeral 2 designates the auxiliary reservoir of an air brake system, and 3 is the drain valve, upon the opening of which the air will be permitted to exhaust from the said reservoir and release the brakes. This valve is provided commonly with a spring 4 to automatically close the same to its seat, this being the normal position, and a rocker device 5 having a pivotal bearing upon transverse pin 6, whereby when said device is operated by pull rod 7 from the side of the car, the valve will be engaged and depressed to open position. There is provided a pull rod for each side of the car and the rocker device has a pivotal bearing upon a pin 6 at either side to operate the valve to open the same upon actuation of either pull rod.

It is found in ractice that it is necessary to operate the pull rod and to hold it out until all of the air has become exhausted from the said reservoir, this being an operation of from five to ten minutes according to the special conditions, and it is the object of the present invention to provide means to automatically hold the pull rod out, once it is actuated, until all of the air has escaped from the reservoir, said means being adapted to be automatically operated to enable the valve to close by its spring and restore the pull rod to normal retracted position.

To this end, the pull rod 7 is brovidcd with an upward extension 8, and said rod loosely engages a perforation 9 of a station' ary or frame part 10, whereby when the rod is pulled outwardly it is adapted to be moved upwardly until said extension engages with the outer side of said part 10, this on gagement serving to prevent the inward movement of the pull rod to normal position and maintaining the valve in open position. It will be noted here that the pressure of the coiled spring of the'valve pressing endwise upon the valve stem 3, has a strong tendency through the valve stem pressure upon the rocker device 5 to pull upon the pull rod 7 to draw the same inwardly to nornral position, and this action tending to draw the pull rod inwardly causes a bind of the extension 8 upon the stationary part 10, which will through friction, serve to hold the pull rod in raised position with the extension engaged as stated with the part 10, and the drain valve being held open.

Therefore all that is needed to be done by the train crew is to pull out each of the pull rods and raise them a trifle to engage the extensions 8 with the parts 10, when the pull rods are released, leaving the part so engaged.

It now becomes necessary to release the pull rods so that they will be retracted to normal position, to permit the drain valve to close, and the brakes to be operated when desired.

Therefore, each pull rod is provided with a small weight 11, hung therefrom just inside of the part l0,and when the train is started upon the next trip, the sudden jerk or shock thereby given the cars is sufficient with the assistance of the influence of this weight, to draw the pull rod downwardly to disengage the extension 8 from the part 10, a rather slight jar or vibration being all that is needed, to overcome the influence of the coiled spring of the valve, which is holding the engagement stated.

I claim 2- 1. The combination with an auxiliary air brake reservoir having a drain valve provided with a coiled spring adapted to normally close the valve, a rocker device engaging the stem of said valve, and a pull rod having connection with said rock-er device to press the valve stem inwardly and open the valve against the tension of its spring, of means for automatically holding the pull rod in out-drawn position, said means adapted to become automatically released by the jar or vibration of th car.

2. The combination With an auxiliary air brake reservoir having a drain valve provided with a spring adapted to normally close the valve, a pull rod, and an intermediate device actuated by the pull rod to open the valve against the tension of its spring, of means for automatically holding; the pullrod in out-drawn position, said means adapted to become automatically released by the jar or vibration of the car.

3. The combination with an auxiliary air brake reservoir having a drain valve provided with a spring adapted to normally close the valve, a pull rod, and an intermediate device actuated by the pull rod to open the Valve against the tension of its s 'iring, of means for automatically holding the pull rod in out-drawn position, consisting of 25 an upward extension of the pull rod adapted to engage a statlonary or irame part and to be held in such engagement by the tension of the valve spring, and a weight hung from the pull rod to automatically release 30 PATRICK M. SEAR-SON.

Witnesses JOHN D. WILsoN, WALTER HOPPER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). G. 

